In an earlier Mactuts+ article, “Picking Passwords: Pitfalls, Practicalities and Protection”, we examined the requirements and problems of modern passwords and why they are hard for humans to remember but easy for computers to crack. We also touched on how we can manage this conundrum. In this article, we will have our cake and eat it; we will use complex, secure and unique passwords for everything. All of those passwords will confirm the specific requirements and rulesets of each service – even if that means that the criteria differs between services. And we will remember just one secure password to do this.

These days we have so much information that needs safe keeping. With so many reports regarding identity theft breaking on a daily basis, security of digital items is as important as your physical goods. Alleyways across the Internet are at times darker than the real world, and all it takes is a tiny malware in your computer to transfer all your digital data to a basement dwelling hacker.